Drive mechanism for planters



Nov. 11,1947.

H. P. SMITH 2,430,741

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR PLANTERS Filed Nov. 15,' 1944 2 sheets-sheet 1 Nov. 1l, 1947. H. P. SMITH.

DRIVE MECHNISM FOR PLANTERS Filed Nov. 15, 1944 2A sheets-sheet. 2

Patented Nov. 11, 1947 DRIVE MECHANISM FOR PLANTERS Hiram P. Smith, Canton, Ill., assigner to International Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application November 15, 1944, Serial No. 563,486

9 Claims.

This invention relates to agricultural implements, and particularly to means for dispensing and depositing material such as seed and fertilizer in the soil. More specifically, the invention concerns a novel drive mechanism for planters and the like.

It is known to drive planters from the power plant of a tractor, upon which they may be mounted, through the intermediary of conventional power take-oif devices and chain drives deriving power from ground contacting wheels. Generally, the mechanism for transmitting power from the source to the dispensing mechanism, such as the seed plate drive of a planter, is cumbersome and unsatisfactory. For example, reduction of drive speed transmitted to the planter mechanism generally involves the use of unsatisfactory sprocket ratios resulting in inefficient operation.

The present invention overcomes the difficulties previously encountered and has for an object the provision of an improved drive for planters and the like.

Another object is to provide means for driving a planter mechanism and the like from the tractor brake shaft.

Another object is to provide a planetary gear system for transmitting power from a, tractor drive shaft to a planter drive mechanism.

A further object is to provide, in a planter drive, a gear housing which is readily attachable to and removable from a tractor, and a combined planetary gear and clutch assembly within said housing for transmitting power from a tractor brake shaft to a planter drive mechanism or the like.

Other objects and advantages will become clear from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a tractor having a planter mounted thereon and showing the location of the drive mechanism therefor;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail of the drive mechanism as shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2. 4

Referring to the drawings, it will be noted that a, tractor I is provided with dirigible front wheels II and rear aXle I2 supporting rear drive wheels I3, one of which is removed to show the drive mechanism of the present invention.

On the side of the tractor and between the front and rear wheels thereof is mounted a planting mechanism generally indicated at lil, cornprising a, hopper I5 mounted upon a bracket I6, secured to a transversely extending tool bar Il attached to the side of the tractor.

At the forward end of the tractor and extending from the side thereof is a transverse tool bar I8, supporting a pair of parallel links I9 and 2B upon which is mounted a furrow-forming tool 2l. A flexible tube 22 serving as a seed spout leads from the planting mechanism I4 to the furrowforming tool 2l and is secured thereto. A bail 23 likewise supported upon` transverse bar i8 is provided with an arm 2li having a swivel in the end thereof adapted to receive for sliding movement a rod 25 having its lower end connected to a bracket 26 supporting the ends of parallel links I9 and 26. A spring 2l is provided on the rod 25 between a collar 28 and arm 24, and a stop collar 29 is provided near the upper end of the rod 25. Links I9 and 20 are pivotally connected to bar I8 through the intermediary of a bracket 3D, furrowforming tool 2l, and seed spout 22 thus having vertical pivotal movement with respect to the tractor Ill.

Vertical movement of the material depositing mechanism, including the furrow-forming tool 2| and seed spout 22, is effected by an arm 3l secured to bail 23 and connected at its upper end by a rod 32 with a rock arm 33. Rock arm 33 is mounted upon the tractor for forward and rearward pivotal movement and is actuated by a hydraulic power unit 3d which preferably transmits power to the rock arm 33 through the intermediary of conventional double acting hydraulic cylinders, not shown.

Planter I4 is provided with a seed plate drive shaft 35 having mounted thereupon a sprocket wheel 36 driven in a, manner to be hereinafter described.

Tractor IU is provided with a conventional power plant which actuates the power lift means 34 and which includes a longitudinally extending drive shaft 3l. Drive shaft 3l transmits power in a well known manner through rear aXle I2 to the drive wheels I3. In advance of the rear axle I2 and also driven by the drive shaft 31 is a transverse brake shaft 38 through which braking power is transmitted to the rear wheels I3. Near its outer end, the shaft 38 is provided with a brake drum 39 enclosed in a housing te.

Housing 40 has secured thereto a gear housing 4I comprising an outer casing l2 and an inner mating section 43 secured together and to the housing '40 by bolts 44. Secured to the hub portion of drum 39, by bolts 45, is an annular member 46 having projecting portions 4l engaging lugs 48 projecting from a beveled gear 49. Gear 49 is seated for rotation in a recessed portion 50 of housing section 43 and is provided on its face with teeth 5l. Gear 49 is journaled upon the reduced portion 52 of a shaft 53 through the intermediary of a bushing 54. Shaft 53 is coaxial with brake shaft 38 and is rotatable in gear 49 and bearing 60. A plug 55 adjacent its inner end is fitted into a, recess in gear 49.

Shaft 53 is provided with a radial opening 56 having a shaft 5l therein and preferably weldingly secured thereto. The ends of shaft El projecting radially from the shaft 53 have rotatably mounted thereon pinions 58 and 59.

The outer end of shaft 53 is journaled in a bearing 6G in the outer casing 42. Bearing 60 is provided with an inwardly projecting portion upon which is journaled a bevel gear 6I having teeth 62 meshed with pinions 58 and 59 on the side opposite gear 49.

It should now be clear that drive from the power plant of tractor it is transmitted through drive shaft 3l to brake shaft 38 and that brake shaft 38, through the interlocking of projections l1 of member l and lugs 48 of gear 69, drive the latter in the direction of rotation of the shaft 38. Rotation of gear 9 causes rotation of pinions 58 and 59, which in turn causes rotation of the gear El in a direction opposite from that of gear 49.

In order tc transmit power from brake shaft 33 to rotate shaft 53, gear 5l must be immobilized and this is done by providing a shaft 62a journaled for rocking movement in the upper portion of casing 4i and having an arm 63 secured to the outer end thereof. Keyed to the shaft 92a at a location centrally thereof is an arm, or dog, 64 having a roller S5 rotatably mounted upon the end thereof adapted to engage projections 95 on the periphery of gear wheel 9i. Thus when roller 65 is seated against one of the projections 6B, the gear wheel El is held against rotation, and rotation of gear :t9 causes pinions 5S and 59 to travel around the gear @l and to rotate the shaft 53.

The end of shaft 53 has keyed thereto a, sprocket wheel S7 which is drivingly connected by an endless chain 68 to the sprocket wheel 35 which drives the planting mechanism Mw It should be apparent that a planetary gear drive has been provided for a dispensing mechanism in which the inner gear i9 is the sun gear, pinions 5d and 59, the planet gears, and outer gear 6l along with dog 51% constitute a clutch by which the drive connection between brake shaft 38 and shaft 53 may be disengaged by rocking arm 63. It may be noted that shaft 53 makes approximately one revolution for each two revolutions of shaft 38, and that the size of sprocket 5i need be altered only slightly to vary the opcratng spee'cl of the dispenser.

It is, of course, desirable, when raising Ythe implement out of the ground to inoperative position by forward rocking movement of lrock arm 33, that the drive connection between brake shaft 39 and planting mechanism ld be disengaged in order to discontinue the deposition of material from the hopper i5. The mechanism by which this may be accomplished automatically upon lifting the implement to inoperative position includes a link 5S pivotally connected at its forward end to a lug 'projecting from rock arm 33v (see Fig-ure 1.). The'rear end of rod 59 passes through and isv slidably received in an opening in a pivot meniber Il pivotally secured to the upper end of arm 63. The rear end 0f rod 69 is provided with a collar 12 and a spring 13 abuts the collar and the pivot member 1I.

Dog 64 is biased to engaged position with one of the projections 6L by a spring' 14 connected at one end to the arm 63 and at its other end to an anchor 'I5 secured by one of the bolts 44 to the housing 4I.

It should now be clear that upon forward movement of rock arm 33 to raise the working tool from the ground, the roller 95 is disengaged from the gear wheel El, whereupon the operation of the planting mechanism I4 is stopped.

It may be noted that, with forward movement of the tractor, and with the roller 65 of arm or dog 64 engaging one of the projections 66, brake shaft 33 and auxiliary shaft 53 revolve in a counter-clockwise direction. However, when the tractor is backed, as sometimes happens, it is desirable that the deposition of seed be stopped until'the tractor is again moved forward. Therefore, when the tractor is backed, shaft 38 revolves clockwise and the direction of rotation of gear 49 and pinions 58 and 59 is reversed, causing the combination ratchet and gear wheel 6l to revolve counter-clockwise. Since the dog 64 is ineffective to stop rotation of gear 6l, roller 65 merely rides over the periphery thereof. Further, when the planter drive mechanism becomes overloaded and sprocket 6l held against rotation, gear wheel 6i will rotate clockwise against the spring pressure holding dog d in position.

From the foregoing description, the operation of the improved planter drive of the present invention should be clear and it should be understood that, while the invention has been described in its preferred embodiment, modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit thereof. tion be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In combination, a tractor having a longitudi-` nally extending drive shaft, agricultural dispensing mechanism mounted on the tractor for vertical movement to and from operating position, a transverse rear axle on said tractor driven from said drive shaft and carrying rear drive wheels, a transverse brake shaft in advance of said axle and driven from said drive shaft, and planetary gearing drivingly connecting said brake shaft and said dispensing mechanism.

2. In combination, a tractor having a longitudinally extending drive shaft, agricultural dispensing mechanism mounted on the tractor for vertical movement to and from operating position, a transverse rear axle on said tractor driven from said drive shaft and carrying rear drive wheels, a transverse shaft mounted on they tractor in advance of said axle, means drivingly connecting said drive shaft and said transverse shaft and planetary gearing drivingly connecting said transverse shaft and said dispensing mechanism.

3. in combination, a tractor having a power plant, agricultural dispensing mechanism mounted on the tractor for vertical movement to and from operating position, a first shaft on the tractor driven from said power plant, a second shaft coaxial with said first shaft, planetary 'gearing connecting said shafts, and means drivingly connecting said second shaft with said dispensing mechanism.

4. In combination, a tractor having a power plant, agricultural dispensing mechanism mount- Therefore, it is desired that the invened on the tractor for vertical movement to and from operating position, a rst shaft on the tractor driven from said power plant, a second shaft coaxial with said first shaft, planetary gearing connecting said shafts, means drivingly connecting said second shaft with said dispensing mechanism, means for interrupting the connection between said first and second shafts comprising a clutch, and means responsive to the movement of said dispensing mechanism to inoperative position for disabling said clutch.

5. The combination with a tractor having a power plant, of a dispenser mechanism mounted on the tractor for movement to and from operating position and having a driven part, a rst shaft on the tractor driven from said power plant, a second shaft coaxial with said rst shaft, means drivingly connecting said second shaft t Iand said part, and a combined reduction gear and clutch assembly for transmitting power from said rst shaft to said second shaft.

6. The combination with a tractor having a power plant, a rock arm, and power means actu-ated by the power plant for rocking the rock arm, of a dispenser mechanism mounted on the tractor for movement to and from operating position and having a driven part, a first shaft on the tractor driven from said power plant, a second shaft coaxial with said first shaft, means drivingly connecting said second shaft and said part, a combined reduction gear and clutch assembly for transmitting power from said flrst shaft to said second shaft, and connecting means between said rock arm and said clutch for disengaging the clutch upon movement of said rock arm in one direction.

7. The `combination with a tractor having a power plant, a rock arm, and power means actuated by the power plant for rocking the rock arm, of a dispenser mechanism mounted on the tractor for movement to and from operating position and having a driven part, a rst shaft on the tractor driven from said power plant, a second shaft coaxial with said rst shaft, means drivingly connecting said second shaft and said part, and a combined reduction gear and clutch assembly for transmitting power from said rst shaft to said second shaft, lifting linkage connecting said rock arm and said dispenser mechanism for moving the latter to and from operating position, and linkage connecting said rock arm and said clutch for disengaging the clutch upon movement of said rock arm to lift the dispenser mechanism to inoperative position.

8. The combination with a tractor having a power plant, a rock arm, and power means actuated by the power plant for rocking the rock arm, of a dispenser mechanism mounted on the tractor for movement to and from operating position and having a driven part, a rst shaft on the tractor driven from said power plant, a second shaft coaxial with said first shaft, means drivingly connecting said second shaft and said part, a combined reduction gear and clutch assembly for transmitting power from said rst shaft to said second shaft, lifting linkage connecting said power means and said dispenser mechanism for moving the latter to and from operating position, and linkage connecting said power means and said clutch for disengaging said clutch.

' 9. In combination, a tractor having a longitudinally extending drive shaft, agricultural dise pensing mechanism mounted on the tractor for movement to and from operating position and having a driven part, a first shaft on the tractor driven from said drive shaft, a second shaft, means drivingly connecting said second shaft and said part, and planetary gearing connecting said rst and second shafts for transmitting power therebetween.

HIRAM P. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,004,416 Orelind June 11, 1935 1,985,370 Hand Dec. 25, 1934 2,361,083 Burnett Oct. 24, 1944 2,002,179 Hitchcock M'ay 21, 1935 2,339,689 Englund Jan. 18, 1944 

